Treehouse Lounge
263-265 Carlisle Street, Balaclava
03 8777 0124
Cafe
$$
Food
- Harissa Scrambled
- Treehouse Benedict
- Tiramisu Waffle
The Good
We were off to an impressive start with the Harissa Scrambled. The vibrant colour was matched by delicious silky scrambled eggs that were heavily seasoned with harissa that offered an incredible heat. This was accompanied by plenty of aromatic dukkah spices as well as the creamy sirarcha aioli. Combined with bits of feta as well as chunks of avocado adding creaminess, this was one appetising chilli scrambled eggs.
We also enjoyed the Treehouse Benedict. Towering tall, the stack looked mighty impressive. Underneath the poached egg was the perfectly cooked pulled beef brisket that was incredibly tender and succulent. The flavourful juices were nicely accompanied by the spicy chipotle hollandaise and an earthy beetroot puree. The cute avocado and cash cheese was a welcome addition, which was creatively presented and adding a creaminess to then dish. Unfortunately this was.all let down by the potato and leek hash, which was incredibly dense and mushy, lacking in texture and an airy, crunchy quality we were looking for.
The Mediocre
Despite the exceptional presentation, the Tiramisu Waffle unfortunately failed to impress. The tiramisu itself was fine for the most part, with a good espresso flavour rounded out by light mascarpone. However the waffles were simply tragic. Deep fried to within an inch of their lives, it was akin to eating oil soaked biscuits. They have completely lost a the qualities that a waffle should exhibit, namely a light crisp outer followed by a spongy, pillowy inner.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
It’s tough to rate this meal. While the dishes were all incredibly creative and looked stunning, simple execution issues on some of the main components really let it down. For what’s it worth, the components that they did nail were absolutely delicious.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
With some fine tuning in the kitchen, we will definitely return.
Penguineats would like to thank Treehouse Cafe for inviting us.